Minnesota reports 2,775 new COVID-19 cases, 83 deaths Thursday

(FOX 9) - Minnesota health officials reported 2,775 new cases of COVID-19 and 83 additional deaths from the disease Thursday. 

Minnesota has now seen 389,171 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and lost 4,658 Minnesotans to the disease since the first infection was reported in the state in March, according to the latest state Department of Health data.

Although cases, hospitalizations and positivity rate have all been trending down recently, Minnesota is still reporting a relatively high number of deaths attributed to the COVID-19 each day. The 7-day average death rate is 66, down one from Wednesday.  

More than half of the 83 deaths reported on Thursday were in the Twin Cities metro. The deaths included one Hennepin County resident in their late 20s.
Fifty-two of the 83 people who died were residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities and one was a resident of a group home or residential behavioral health facility. 

The 2,775 confirmed cases reported on Thursday were out of 47,704 tests—a positivity rate of 5.82%, the lowest it has been since October. The state’s current 7-day average positivity rate is 7.7%, down from 9.8% a week ago. 

Hospitalizations are also continuing to decrease week-over-week. MDH data shows there are currently 1,222 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Minnesota, compared to 1,542 a week ago. Of the 1,222 people hospitalized, 289 are in the ICU. 

Minnesota received its first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine this week and has begun vaccinating frontline health care workers and the most at-risk people against the coronavirus. 

Gov. Tim Walz has loosened some of the state's coronavirus-related restrictions, allowing all elementary schools to move to in-person instruction starting in January, youth sports to resume and gyms, fitness centers and other businesses to reopen in a limited capacity.